SCIENCE FOR PEOPLE WHO GIVE A SHIT

Videos

June 7, 2021

115: Fossil Fuel Propaganda

In Episode 115, Quinn & Brian discuss: How to stop fossil fuel advertising. Our guests are JaRel Clay and Jamie Henn. JaRel Clay is the Digital Director of Hip Hop Caucus, a national nonprofit focused on ending the climate crisis, having some fun, and tackling racial justice along the way.…

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May 31, 2021

114. Carbon Offsets: Not A Get Out of Jail Free Card, TBH

In Episode 114, Quinn asks: What are carbon offsets, and do they even work? Our returning guest is Akshat Rathi, a reporter at Bloomberg Green. Carbon offsets -- like our planet -- are so hot right now. And like our planet -- they kind of don’t work! So fun. But…

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May 26, 2021

Do Better Better #18: Back to the Future

Synopsis: We can time travel to the past to understand how we got to where we are today. But the past doesn’t dictate the future - not anymore. So we have to look forward. The decisions we make today will guarantee that the world of 2041 is cleaner, safer, and…

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May 24, 2021

113: Lessons from Plants

In Episode 113, Quinn asks: What can we learn from plants? The answer, it turns out, is: A whole heck of a lot. Our guest is the wonderful and way overqualified Dr. Beronda Montgomery -- PhD, writer, researcher, scholar, and author of “Lessons from Plants.” (https://www.berondamontgomery.com/lessonsfromplants/) Dr. Montgomery’s dedicated her…

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May 21, 2021

Issue #231: Electric Truck Boogaloo, Get Your Colon Checked, What’s Your Beef

This week: An electric truck for the masses; India’s vaccine production stays home; Better cancer screening; Beef emissions. • Find links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletter (http://importantnotimportant.com/newsletter) • Got feedback? Email us at questions@importantnotimportant.com • Follow us on Twitter at @importantnotimp (https://www.twitter.com/importantnotimp) Important, Not Important is produced by…

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May 19, 2021

112. The Next Pandemic

Oh, when we were young and so naive. In Episode #9 (!), Quinn and Brian got to know Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, an infectious diseases physician, Associate Professor at the Boston University School of Medicine, and the Medical Director of Special Pathogens Unit (SPU) at Boston Medical Center. TLDR of the…

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May 10, 2021

111: When Your Government Runs on Windows 95

In Episode 111, Quinn & Brian discuss the past, present, and future of government IT infrastructure. ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED??? Our guest is Aneesh Chopra, the first Chief Technology Officer of the United States. Twelve years after serving under President Obama, he’s the co-founder of CareJourney, whose mission is to…

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May 7, 2021

Issue #229: Fossil Fuel Funding, MDMA Magic, Leaky Legislation

This week: fossil fuel financing under the microscope, India’s COVID summer, MDMA to the rescue, how to fix our water pipes. • Psychedelics 101: Books, Documentaries, Podcasts, Science, and More – The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss (https://tim.blog/2021/03/31/psychedelics-101/) • Find links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletter (http://importantnotimportant.com/newsletter) •…

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May 3, 2021

110. The End of the Universe

In Episode 110, Quinn’s talking about the end of the universe. His guest is Sarafina Nance, Ph.D. candidate at Berkeley, astrophysicist, author, and women’s health advocate. She also hosts Constellation, a TV show by Seeker. How the hell is the universe gonna end? Is it soon? What does it mean…

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April 26, 2021

109. Introducing “What Can I Do?”

In Episode 109, Quinn & Brian try to help answer the eternal question: What can I do? Our guest is Frank Buncom IV, Head of Product Management at AIRx Health, a ground-breaking digital health and remote monitoring service for patients with chronic conditions and COVID-19. This episode is the first…

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April 23, 2021

Issue #227: Building a Better Battery, It’s Covid Crunch Time, I Was Promised Waterworld Wouldn’t...

This week: Batteries 101; too many vaccines, not enough takers; new antibiotics, but are they the right ones?; water disputes grow; AI gets the crack down • Find links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletter (http://importantnotimportant.com/newsletter) • Got feedback? Email us at questions@importantnotimportant.com • Follow us on Twitter at…

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April 19, 2021

108. Data for Progress

In Episode 108, Quinn & Brian discuss: Data for progress. Our guest is Julian Brave NoiseCat, the Vice President of Policy & Strategy at Data for Progress, a progressive think tank that uses data science, public opinion research, policy analysis, and other research to develop and advocate for progressive policies.…

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April 12, 2021

107. Start a Sustainable Fashion Revolution

In Episode 107, Quinn & Brian discuss: How to buy clothing that lasts while not polluting the oceans or exploiting low-income workers. Our guest is Orsola de Castro, a fashion icon and the founder of Fashion Revolution, a collection of designers, producers, and consumers looking to heighten awareness of sustainability…

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April 9, 2021

Issue #225: The Cost of Climate Change, Skeptical Evangelists, Algorithms for the Win

This week: Climate finance remains unregulated; God vs Vaccines; AI antibiotics are coming; New data on food waste since the 1960s • Find links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletter (http://importantnotimportant.com/newsletter) • Got feedback? Email us at questions@importantnotimportant.com • Follow us on Twitter at @importantnotimp (https://www.twitter.com/importantnotimp) Important, Not Important…

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April 7, 2021

Do Better Better #17: Start Over

Synopsis: Starting over sucks. But, like in Contra, maybe starting over is just the thing that’ll save the world. Do Better Better essays help you build mental models and ask questions about our changing world — for yourself, your family, and your business. These essays compliment the audio version of…

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April 5, 2021

#106: Black Moms Matter

In Episode 106, Quinn & Brian ask: Why is it so dangerous to have Black babies in America? Our guest is Congresswoman Lauren Underwood, the millenial Black nurse and former senior adviser to President Obama. Her “Momnibus Act” is a suite of 12 bills designed to improve Black maternal health…

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April 2, 2021

Issue #224: Biden Steps Up, The Take-Home Test You Hope to Fail, Why Green is Good

This week: Biden’s plan, explained; financial climate risk, uncovered; at-home COVID tests, approved; pesticide poisonings, revealed • Find links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletter (https://slack-redir.net/link?url=http%3A%2F%2Fimportantnotimportant.com%2Fnewsletter) • Got feedback? Email us at questions@importantnotimportant.com • Follow us on Twitter at @importantnotimp (https://www.twitter.com/importantnotimp) Important, Not Important is produced by Crate Media…

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March 29, 2021

Best of the Best: “‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens”

Hi. Hello. Americans are leaving their living rooms again, which means we’re shooting people again, too. As such, we’re re-running our conversation with Fred Guttenberg, father of Parkland victim, Jaime Guttenberg. We need to break the fucking gun lobby, so we’ll just keep replaying this must-listen episode until we do.…

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March 26, 2021

Issue #223: Summer’s About to Get a Whole Lot Longer

This week: The Western drought grows; China’s vaccine exports; menthol cigarettes on the run; bacon and Alzheimer’s; croissants and cancer. • Find links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletter (https://slack-redir.net/link?url=http%3A%2F%2Fimportantnotimportant.com%2Fnewsletter) • Got feedback? Email us at questions@importantnotimportant.com • Follow us on Twitter at @importantnotimp (https://www.twitter.com/importantnotimp) Important, Not Important is…

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March 22, 2021

#105: Your Smart Fridge Just Overturned Democracy

In Episode 105, Quinn & Brian ask: How safe is your data (and can your wine fridge take down democracy)? Our guest is: Dr. Carissa Véliz, an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy and the Institute for Ethics in AI, and a Tutorial Fellow in Philosophy at Hertford College…

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March 19, 2021

Issue #222: Low Hanging vs Game Changing: Why Not Both?, a Strong Cup of Joe, Waiting is the Hard...

In brief: The most powerful Joe; when you’re really clear on COVID; Black maternal outcomes; how to understand the AI internal war • Find links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletter (https://slack-redir.net/link?url=http%3A%2F%2Fimportantnotimportant.com%2Fnewsletter) • Got feedback? Email us at questions@importantnotimportant.com • Follow us on Twitter at @importantnotimp (https://www.twitter.com/importantnotimp) Important, Not…

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March 15, 2021

#104: Global.Health: Big Data for Good

In Episode 104, Quinn & Brian discuss: the future of data and medicine. Our guests are: Robel Kassa & Dr. Sam Scarpino, two of the brilliant minds behind Global.Health, which is setting a new standard for epidemiological data. Global.Health (https://global.health/) is the first of its kind: an easy-to-use global data…

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March 12, 2021

Issue #221: Lab Trial & Error, Finding a Pain-Free Way to Treat Pain, How to Lose a Crop in 10 Days

In brief: Batteries are cheaper and increasingly everywhere; the best COVID treatments; a possible opioid alternative; cabbage is off the menu • Find links from this newsletter and more at importantnotimportant.com/newsletter (https://slack-redir.net/link?url=http%3A%2F%2Fimportantnotimportant.com%2Fnewsletter) • Got feedback? Email us at questions@importantnotimportant.com • Follow us on Twitter at @importantnotimp (https://www.twitter.com/importantnotimp) Important, Not Important…

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March 8, 2021

#103: Black Hearts Matter

In Episode 103, Quinn & Brian ask: Why do so many more Black people die after heart transplants than everybody else? Our guests are: Dr. Hasina Maredia and Dr. Errol Bush, who recently published a paper in the American Heart Association’s journal, “Circulation: Heart Failure.” Their paper (https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.119.006107) concludes that…

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